Charlie Witkowski

Challenge:

During the global pandemic, the tourism and hospitality industry was completely devastated. Meanwhile, the COVID restrictions were rapidly changing, going back and forth, closing and reopening cities and countries. 

In 2021 Choose Chicago, the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, realized that they needed to adapt to this hybrid, always-on world. They wanted to bring more visitors to Chicago, prompt travelers to visit and immerse into local cultural experiences rather than staying downtown only, and help them find information about the reopening of Chicago as quickly as possible.  To do so, they studied digital solutions, like chatbots. 

Solution:

Meet The Bean. Named after the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, The Bean lives on the Choose Chicago website and is available 24-7 to help people from near and far to discover the best of Chicago.

The Bean is an AI-chatbot that helps answer visitors’ questions, suggest new places and events, and serves as a virtual ambassador of Chicago. The Bean can understand when you ask it about Chicago neighborhoods, where to eat, attractions, breweries, events, celebrities, and much more... Also, it has conversational elements responding to your most tricky questions like, “Do you like New York?”  

Role:

Concept, creative direction, creative technologist and launch strategy.

Created agriscience industry-first Esports sponsorship for Corteva Agriscience, a company that produces Pioneer seeds and crop protection solutions, with the 2019-20 season of the Farming Simulator League.

"Jim" is the most successful PR program in Jim Beam Brand History
-Jim Beam client

Idea:
From Alexa to Echo, Google Home to HomePod, the 2017 holiday season is all about the smart home. With the competition getting fierce from AI’s biggest players, we introduced a new offering from an unexpected source. Meet JIM: The World’s First Intelligent Bourbon Decanter. JIM can’t order your groceries, or do much of anything, but it’s the only voice assistant on the market that assists with the one thing that truly matters… pouring shots of bourbon. We launched JIM with an original “demo” video modeled after traditional AI ads, and infused it with distinct Kentucky charm. We produced a handful of JIM decanters and offered them up for sale on JimBeam.com for consumers, and shared with influencers and media.

Results:
JIM was an instant phenomenon. Fortune dubbed it “like Amazon Echo, but better.” Thrillist declared JIM “the most urgent gadget of the year.” “Watch out, Alexa,” warned Maxim, and CNET described JIM best, as a “fever-dream crossover between an Alexa device and a whiskey decanter.” Similar raves and shock came in from hundreds of online and broadcast outlets including NPR, Yahoo!, Food & Wine, The Verge, USA Today and AdAge, generating more than 370 million impressions. Not surprisingly, all that media attention fueled significant chatter on social, and Jim” sold out in less than two hours.

“Jim Beam’s Smart Decanter Is Like an Amazon Echo—Only Smarter, Funnier, and More Attractive”
-Fortune

Awards:

-Two Shorty Awards (Best in Wine, Beer and Spirits + Best Use of Artificial Intelligence)
-Digiday Awards Finalist (Best Use of AI)

Click here to watch the Jim Beam product video

Role:

Concept, creative direction, creative technologist and launch strategy.

Assignment:

In 2016, Pilsner Urquell asked us to, “deliver a national creative platform that will incite conversations that drives awareness for Pilsner Urquell’s authentic brand background and quality.” The brand was having trouble standing out in a crowded landscape and, as the original golden lager and namesake for the pilsner category, wanted to be recognized alongside other influential beers and breweries.

What we did:

We made a feature length documentary that did exactly that for less than the cost of a :15 TV spot.

Our team partnered with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Doug Tirola on “Brewmaster,” a film that follows a young ambitious New York lawyer who struggles to chase his American dream of becoming a brewmaster and a Milwaukee based professional beer educator as he attempts to become a Master Cicerone. Set in the craft beer community, the film features successful brewers Sam Calagione, John and Jen Kimmich, Jim Koch, Garrett Oliver, Rob Tod and, Pilsner Urquell brewmaster Vaclav Berka. The film naturally integrated Pilsner Urquell’s influence and story into the narrative right alongside other established brands that appeal to the brand’s “beer geek and and luminary target audience.”

Results:

The film had its world premiere at SXSW 2018, toured ten additional film festivals across the country (and counting), made a successful theatrical run in more than 20 markets across the United States which culminated with its VOD debut on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, cable and more on Nov 20, 2018.

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Film website: www.brewmasterthefilm.com

Role:

Original concept, CD for film marketing, marketing strategy, creative consultant on film and executive producer.

2016-2018

Created and launched brand, website/social media footprint and earned media campaign for Tomahawk Science, a 3rd-party sports science consultancy specializing in human-movement, data and technology.

Campaign Overview:

Paqui turned the heat up on its brand-name recognition by creating a tortilla chip seasoned with the Carolina Reaper, the spiciest pepper in the world. Inspired by million-view videos of people attempting to eat the pepper, Paqui and Olson Engage positioned the new product as a "one-chip challenge" to consumers.

The team broke the news via an exclusive story on Mashable, which was shared more than 227,000 times, then brought chip samples — along with lots of vanilla ice cream and milk — to New York media offices and prompted journalists to take — and share — the challenge themselves.

Dozens of top-tier media outlets complied, including Time and BuzzFeed, whose taste-test video drew nearly 2 million YouTube views. Today hosts at the time Tamron Hall and Billy Bush were sent reeling in a segment that went viral on its own.

The chips were sold individually, in a coffin-shaped box for $4.99 each, both through the Paqui website and also at select retailers nationwide. The company wanted to be sure no one missed the lethally spicy point, so they were called "Carolina Reaper Madness" and featured an illustration of the grim reaper on the package. The conversation quickly migrated online, as consumers all over the world began posting videos and photos of their own attempts. This drove a quick sellout of every chip made and shipped, and a market for the chips quickly sprouted on eBay.

The One-Chip Challenge put the previously unknown Paqui brand squarely on the map, accelerating its national launch. Sales for the brand rose more than 400% during Q4 2016.

Awards:

- Cannes Lions Bronze Lion (Promo & Activations)
- PR Week 2018 Best Viral Campaign

Role:
Creative direction, distribution strategy and paid partnerships

2016-2017

Charged with driving anticipation for a series of DROID phone launches, I led the team that created:

- First ever U.S. YouTube Homepage Takeover powered by a Google Hangout on Air: Leading up to Christmas, families could interact with Santa and his helpers in real-time by contacting his DROID RAZR MAXX HD (the first 24-hour smartphone, and the only one that could get him through his big day.)

- Ongoing Motorola social content, including #iLost campaign that increased Motorola social share of voice by 56%

- Inventive teaser campaign for DROID BIONIC by Motorola, which created sustained buzz for previously underwhelming phone leading up to launch

- Strategic influencer campaigns to introduce Motorola products to new verticals e.g. fashion and sports.

Role: Social Strategy and Creative Lead

2011-2012

Campaign Overview:
Confused and unsure about investing in bitcoin? Us too. Luckily, Oscar Mayer has made a much easier, fun and tastier cryptocurrency that we can all get behind: BACOIN! Given Oscar Mayer’s history of bacon and technology, the trending bitcoin conversation and people’s love for all things bacon, our team, along with our other agency partners, came up with a fun play on cryptocurrencies that is continuing to help drive ongoing Oscar Mayer relevance.

How does it work? Oscar Mayer is giving away a limited amount of Bacoin that fans can mine, track the value of and cash out for real packs of Oscar Mayer Bacon at OscarMayerBacoin.com. Similar to other cryptocurrencies, the value of Bacoin can be volatile. However, Bacoin stands out by the fact that Bacon lovers can boost value by spreading the news via Twitter and email on OscarMayerBacoin.com. The more they share, the greater Bacoin is worth. When ready, Bacoin owners can select the best time to cash out and receive real packs of Oscar Mayer Bacon.

The effort has already garnered more than 428MM earned impressions in outlets such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Adweek, HelloGiggles, MSN.com, Yahoo Sports, TechCrunch and more.

Role: Concept
Execution: Collaboration Olson Engage (earned media) + McGarryBowen (creative)

2018

Transformed iconic Nabisco brands into leading social media giants.

- Convinced Nabisco to launch Oreo’s Facebook page (one of the first major brands on the channel) and grew it into the 3rd most liked page on Facebook

- Led the industry with breakthrough Facebook engagements (early UGC activations, real time coupon rewards, etc.)

-Set the stage for the iconic Oreo Daily Twist

Role: Social media strategy, Creative Lead

2008-2012

Oversaw creative and drove ideation for ongoing Bodybymilk.com microsites featuring Got Milk? celebs ranging from Taylor Swift to Batman.

Executions included videos, sweepstakes, downloadable content and interactive games.

Role: Copywriting, Execution, Social Media Strategy

2007-2009

For the past three years, leading real estate search engine Zillow owned the real estate conversation around Halloween. In 2014, Trulia asked Olson to make Trulia the most talked about real estate search engine in October.

We executed a multi-phased campaign combining pop culture PR with a larger content marketing initiative to generate widespread brand awareness and buzz for Trulia surrounding Halloween. 

Results:

-From 2013 to 2014, Trulia’s October SOV increased from 17% to 54%, surpassing Zillow

-The overall campaign generated: 291,272,918 impressions; 110 media hits, and over 250,000 Haunted Open House video/social content views.

-For the first time ever, Trulia saw a significant month over month increase in aided and unaided brand awareness.

-Won 2015 Shorty Award for Best Data Visualization.

2014

Created first-ever new media strategies that made iconic Kraft brands feel fresh again.

- Turned the iconic Oscar Mayer Hotdoggers into a social media force and launched the @wienermobile Twitter profile

- Created and hosted the industry-first CPG Twitter parties

- Used disruptive technolgies like automated messaging technology to drive awareness for DiGiorno

Role: Social media strategist + Creative Lead

2009-2011

Used digital and social media channels to increase awareness for milk and the importance of breakfast.

- Created innovative Milk Command Center for MilkPEP's "Breakfast Project": a a social media listening and engagement campaign that combined real-time social monitoring with quick-turn creative to engage consumers, influencers and full-on celebrities in surprising ways. (read more)

Role: Creative Concept, Execution, Social Media Strategy

2010-2012

Ubisoft wanted to make Far Cry 4 break through the crowded pre-holiday game release chatter in a way that brought to life the main character of the new game: its dynamic Nepalese setting.

- We created the "Quest for Everest" campaign where a lucky consumer won the chance to break a world record by being the first person to play a video game on Mount Everest. Not just any game of course...

Role: Concept 

2014

KFC charged us with coming up with creative concepts that would drive global news around their brand and product launches. Several ideas ended up driving billions of impressions and customer engagement.

- KFC "Face from Space" "Spacevertisement"

- High-profile creative "offers" to celebrities ranging from American Idol contestants to god's representative on earth drove product awareness through media and social channels.

Role: Concepting, Creative Execution

2006-2009